A metre-long fish is about eight years old and is usually female.
There have been barramundi recorded at over 35 years of age, though a maximum age of 20 years is more normal. General sizes are: one year old - 30cm to 40cm long. two years old - 50cm to 60cm long.
Barramundi feed well on pelleted diets, and juveniles are easy to wean to pellets. Barramundi grow rapidly, reaching a harvestable size (350 g – 3 kg) in six months to two years.
Barramundi can live to over 20 years of age and have been recorded at more than a metre and a half in length and 55 kilograms in weight.
They have large, silver scales, which may become darker or lighter, depending on their environments. Their bodies can reach up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) long, though evidence of them being caught at this size is scarce. The maximum weight is about 60 kg (130 lb). The average length is about 0.6–1.2 m (2.0–3.9 ft).
Size and Weight
They can reach up to 1.5m and 50kg, although most wild-caught fish weigh less than 6kg. Some farmed fish are sold at 400-600g (plate-sized), though increasingly many farms produce larger fish (around 2-5kg).
Fishing from a kayak at Lake Monduran, near Bundaberg, Denis Harrold landed the monster fish, which tipped the scales at 44.6kg - breaking the old world record of 37.85kg. It measured in at 135cm with a whopping girth of 107cm. “When I heard it crash, I knew it was a big fish,” Mr Harrold said.
In late December, legendary kayak barramundi angler Denis Harrold (and mate of Fisho's yak fishing specialist Dan Bode) landed a monster 134cm barra at Lake Monduran. The fish reportedly weighed in at 44.62kg, on officially calibrated ANSA scales. The huge barra's girth measured an incredible 107cm.
The results revealed Granddad was born in the Burnett River, and he lived to the incredible age of 109. According to the AnAge online database [Link will open in a new window], only 11 other fish species live longer than the Australian Lungfish. All, but one of them, are temperate, deep water, marine dwellers.
Harrold's monster weighed an incredible 44.6kg (about 98 pounds) and measured 135cm (almost 4 ½ feet). Its girth was an astounding 107cm (about 3 ½ feet).
Leader: 50 – 70lb (25 – 30kg) monofilament or flurocarbon. Lures: Saltwater-grade lures: Bomber Long 15A; Classic Barra 10+ & 15+; Classic Barra Suspending; Classic Manta Ray F18; Killalure Needlenose & 2Deadly; Atomic Shiner Double-deep; Jackall Squirrel; Reidy's Goulbourn Jack and B52.
Barramundi fishing:
Between March and May the rain eases as the monsoon dissipates. The big rivers start to regain their shape as the floodplains drain into the sea. Known as the 'Run-Off', it is unquestionably the best time for barramundi fishing.
"Barramundi is the fastest growing aquaculture sector, with more of this fish now coming from farms than is caught in the wild," Dr Domingos said. "The importance of the industry is increasing as the global population rises and with it the demand for protein sources."
The first on our list is the Gulf of Carpentaria, located in the coastal waters of Northern Australia. This is one of the best places for coral trout and to catch barramundi in Australia, as the fish tend to congregate here in large numbers.
The existence of Golden Barramundi in the wild is extremely rare, with the chance of a Golden Barramundi being born one-in-ten million. When Mainstream was founded nearly 20 years ago, there were anecdotal reports of rare golden and platinum coloured Barramundi being in existence.
Where can I fish for Barramundi? The most popular Barramundi fishing destinations are in North Australia, though there are Barramundi farms all over the continent. Still, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and Queensland have the best Barramundi-rich waters.
With just 100 or so left in the wild, the aptly named red handfish (Thymichthys politus) makes Australia's other critically endangered species seem positively abundant. But a team of dedicated researchers has been toiling for years to ensure the survival of the grumpy-looking creature, about which little is known.
Some types of fish that would have been caught included barramundi, catfish, mullet, flathead and shark. Throughout Queensland, Aboriginal people made and used many different types of spears for fishing. Some spears were one single piece of wood, others were multi- pronged, and some were barbed.
The Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, is the largest of all fishes.
DESPITE the many tagged barramundi swimming around Territory waters as part of the Million Dollar Fish competition, one lucky Darwinite has managed to reel in the only Golden Ticket fish.
Yes! It is great as sashimi, sushi, crudo or in ceviche.
History of Million Dollar Fish
Barramundi are tagged and released right across the Territory in five main fishing regions including Arnhem Land, Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine and the Tiwi Islands.
Sooty grunter are pound for pound the hardest fighting freshwater fish in the north of Australia - probably all of Australia.
According to Fisheries Queensland, the biggest barramundi ever caught was 135cm long. Denis Harrold was fishing from a kayak at Lake Monduran, near Bundaberg in December 2010, when he caught the 44.64 kg fish.
SOOTY GRUNTER. Sooty Grunter are a tropical freshwater species present in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Sooty Grunter are fiercely aggressive and dirty fighters that are arguably one of Australia's most powerful fish. Pound for pound, these tropical terrors would pull almost any fish backwards!